This is where I share my passion for music and support the bands I like ...expect intense, passionate, and radical stuff from this blog.

dimanche 29 avril 2012

Uncle acid & the deadbeats-blood lust

Uncle acid & the deadbeats. With a name like that you just can't lose! so it's no surprise that their first record, Blood lust, released in 2011 by Rise above records is a winner.

Old school doomy heavy metal, stoner, psychedelic rock, a very 70' sound, a black sabbath meets Blue oyster cult vibe, all that enters in the making of Blood lust. Of course just that would be cool, but not enough. Right. What makes blood lust a really cool and enjoyable record, a record above the mass of the revival old school 70' rock/metal wave is great songwriting. That's the key. A great sound, good musicianship, really cool vocals, good riffs and melodies, but above all that, great songs, the capacity to absorb the listener in mysterious and menacing atmospheres through dark psyched stoned trips. That's all this record is about. Really cool stuff!.

vendredi 27 avril 2012

Dephosphorus/Wake split 7''EP

Both bands featured on this split made a great impresion in 2011, Dephsphorus with Axiom (see review Here) and Wake with Leeches (see review Here). So I had great expectations for it and I'm glad to say that it's a new success for both bands. 6 songs, 3 for each band, all killer, no filler. Prepare for a non stop blastbeats and riffing feast!

The 3 Dephosphorus songs are a really interesting and crushing mix of black metal, grind and crust and the songwriting is really good so it really makes songs, with a distinct Dephosphorus identity and atmosphere, and not a hodgepodge of different elements. Unit is a fast song with an almost slayeresque intensity but keeping the Dephosphorus sound and complexity. the two other songs are more midtempo but also really good. If you want to know more about Dephosphorus (and you really should!) I suggest you read the interview with their singer Panos Agoros that I did last month, Here (below the review for Axiom).

and Here is the BC page for the coming Dephosphorus full lenght (only two songs for the moment).

The songs by Wake are more straightforward, with a less complex songwriting, but they have a cool old school grind/punk vibe, especially Veil of Odin that ends the split.

I'm asking Wake for a written interview, so keep an eye on this post...

mercredi 25 avril 2012

Subrosa-No help for the mighty one

No help for the mightyone is the third record by Subrosa (from Salt Lake City, Utah) but it was for me (and for many people I guess) one of the best discoveries in 2011. Really a great record, it's not easy to combine heavy and dark doom with the melodies of two violins in addition of two guitars, but they succeed brilliantly in doing it. The femeale vocals, melodic or more raw are also really good. Usually metal + violons + femeale vocals is not an equation that I like, but I'm really happy to have given them a chance, because it's one of my favourite record for 2011. The songs, lasting between 5 to more than 10 min, are really well crafted, carrying a lot of emotion, having a lot of epic moments and developing a kind of haunted americana atmosphere (the lyrics being inspired by The road by Cormac Mc Carthy. ). they even suceed in covering (a capella!) a country standard (house carpenter). No surprise that the record was released by the really good Profound lore records.

Rebecca Vernon, who plays guitars and sings in Subrosa, kindly answered to a few questions I sent her by mail. Read it below :

-for those not knowing you yet can you present Subrosa ?

I
had the idea to start a band for four years before beginning Subrosa. I
knew the overall vibe I wanted the band to have, but I was kind of
anxious about it, too. I avoided it for a long time, and joined other
bands as a drummer and put it off. I don't really know why I was so
afraid. I probably lost a good three years that way.Anyway, when I started it, my good friend Sarah was learning
electric violin and wanted to play with me. At first I didn't know how
electrical violin would work with heavy sludge, but it has turned into
the best accidental union.From there, we started like any band, gathering members together,
playing shows, releasing albums. Our big step forward was getting Strega
released on I Hate Records in 2008. Another highlight was touring
Europe in 2009. That was an incredible, fun time.

-I
read that at a time you tried to be the heaviest band of your area, I
think it’s really more interesting to be a band, still really heavy but
also original and with great epic and atmospheric qualities, as Subrosa
is now, how would you describe the musical evolution of the band?

The basic idea
was to start a band with heavy, distinctive riffs, and punk-like
confrontational vocals. EyeHateGod was the first band I heard that
came even close to what I had in mind, I mean, besides Utah band the Red
Bennies, who is Subrosa's biggest influence.Then Sarah added her violin, bringing a haunting, emotional quality to the music that was not part of my initial vision.On
each album, I feel like there are at least one or two songs that give a
hint of where the band is going to go next. On The Worm has Turned, it
was obviously "The Hours I Keep" and "How to Neglect Your Heart,"
because we redid those for Strega. On Strega, it was "Cradles" and
"Sugar Creek." On NHFTMO, it is "Stonecarver." Because for the listener,
you are hearing all 10 songs together, but those songs were written
over the course of a couple years and represent a gradual evolution.

-how would you describe your live shows, what do you try to transmit to the listeners?

Our live shows
have been something we're really aiming to elaborate on. We want the
audience to not only hear the music in a richer way than the album, but
we want to get a visual idea across that backs up the darkness of the
music.

-you released No help for the mighty one more than one year ago now, how do you see the record now, any regret about something?

Not really,
although there was this harmony part I wanted to put in "The
Inheritance," and we simply ran out of time. I also wish we'd turned up
the violin plucking in "The Inheritance" just a little bit. I didn't
really notice that until after it was done being mastered.

-You seems to draw from many different musical styles, which kind of music do you listen to the most?

I listen to
heavy music the most. Everything from metal, to sludge, to doom and rock
and hardcore. Sarah also listens to a great deal of metal; avant garde
metal, esoteric experimental stuff, etc. Kim listens to heavy music,
too, but we all have pretty wide musical taste; we also listen to dance
music, 80s pop, goth, grunge, chamber music, the blues. Zach and Dave,
on NHFTMO, also listen to a ton of heavy music.

-how the songs are composed?

With NHFTMO, I usually brought a riff to the table, or a
verse/chorus idea and bridge. Sometimes it would be structured already
when I presented it, and sometimes the rest of the band would help
structure the riffs. Then everyone added their parts over it, and I
would add my vocal melody and lyrics somewhere near the end of this
process.

-have you started writing the new album? how will it sound?

We have started writing the new
album, slowly but surely. It will be more rich, lush, and possibly have
more layered melodies as NHFTMO, but we aim to make it as heavy as ever.

-how did you get to sign for a record with Profound lore records? Will they release the next one? Do you think it helps you a lot to work with a label?

I
kept in touch with Chris after I Hate Records signed Strega. PL was
interested in releasing the next album. At the time, I thought we'd
probably stay with I Hate and maybe do a North American/European partner
release between the two labels or something, but then Ola Blomkvist,
who was responsible for signing us, left I Hate Records and we were
without a home. Profound Lore has offered to release the next one when we're ready. :)I
do really enjoy working with underground labels. I don't know how I
would feel working with a very big label. I would only work with a label
I trusted, and whose musical taste I respected.

-last
record lyrics were inspired by Cormac Mc Carthy, what about the lyrics
for the next record? One subject you want to deal with especially?

Oh, I already
have an armada of things I have planned to sing about. I've been hording
ideas like jars of Jiffy after an EMP. But one subject I want to deal
with specifically is about something my friend from India was telling me
about ... there's this face cream in India called "Fair & Lovely,"
that tons of Indian women use on their face to lighten their skin.
Social status and even marriages are founded on how fair your complexion
is. Boy, do I have a lot of scathing things to say about that. Plenty
of things to say about our twisted Western ideas of beauty, and how
they are hopelessly flawed and damaging and disgusting.

-I really like your cover of House carpenter, tell us more about it, where did you get the idea? Are most people also liking it?

Sarah and I got
the idea of covering "House Carpenter" after seeing a performance of it
on the DVD, "The Harry Smith Project Live," based on The Anthology of
American Folk Music. Famous musicians cover old American folk tunes on
the DVD. Elvis Costello, Beck and Nick Cave are on there. It's sooo
good. Anyway, "House Carpenter" was covered on that DVD and we both
instantly fell in love with it and thought about how we wanted to cover
it one day, too. And so we did.

-what is planned for Subrosa in 2012?

We have talked about doing a tour, but we'll see. We are definitely
going to work on writing our next album, which we've already started.

-something to add?

Our
next show is June 21 at Crucial Fest in downtown Salt Lake City at
Burt's, with Witch Mountain and Lord Dying from Portland, so if you
haven't seen us before and you don't live in Utah, time to buy a plane
ticket.

lundi 23 avril 2012

Anhedonist-Netherwards

Netherwards is the first album (after a good demo called "The drear" in 2010) of Anhedonist from Seattle. Netherwards (released by the excellent Dark descent records) is a really solid exercise in death/doom, the four long songs really carries a lot of heaviness and dark atmospheres. The death metal riffs having sometimes a bit of a Morbid angel (circa Gateways of annihiliaiton) influence, which can't be a bad thing in my opinion. If you like death/doom I'm sure you'll like it. So try it and you won't regret...

dimanche 22 avril 2012

Dr Faust-Old wounds new scars

Today I present you a very cool groovy grind/death album by a very unknown russian band called Dr Faust.

In Old wounds new scars released in 2010, a good songwriting with a lot of rythm changes and diversity in the songs brings a lot of groovy and dynamics. With it's 34 songs its longer than the usual grind album but it grips you from the start and never let you go.

Dr Faust was formed in 1988, starting as a speed metal/trash band, they now plays since some years their own original kind of grind/death metal and really deserves more recognition.

samedi 21 avril 2012

Code Orange Kids-Cycles

Code Orange Kids are a bunch of young guys from Pittsburgh and they got a lot of underground attention after releasing (on Mayfly records) in october 2011 this EP called Cycles.

This Ep is actually really good so it' really well deserved interest, it carries a sense of urgency and a lot of freshness and intensity, with a really good blend of crushing and fast hardcore and good melodies in a kind of posy punk vein. A very solid debut EP and it's no surprised that their debut album planned for 2012 will be released by Deathwish records.

And, after the really good Tribal released in 2010, the Doctor proves it once again with Locked down.

Unlike his latest album he is not this time backed by the Lower 911 band, this times he has on his side another band provided by Dan Auerbach from The black keys who also plays the guitar and produces the album. But the result is not so different, Locked down sounding like a classical Dr John record, which, considering how good is a classical Dr John record, is not a bad thing. Maybe the focus is a bit more on the vocal melodies, and maybe this time the voodoo elements (bordering at times to afro-beat/afro-funk) is more felt than the funk element. To make short it's another brilliant record by Dr John. The highlights are, in my opinion, "Revolution" and "Getaway", but check it by yourself! you won't regret it...Highly recommended!

jeudi 19 avril 2012

Negative plane-Stained glass revelations

With Stained glass revelations this trio of black metallers from New Yok released in 2011 one of the best black metal album of the year. It carries the rawness and gloominess of black metal (with it's harsh sound and really good black metal vocals) but also bring with a lot of style melodies and atmospheres, with many, almost ritualistic or even psychedelic, instrumental parts. It reminds sometimes of In the nightshade eclipse of the geat Emperor, with its epic atmosphere and the old school black metal side of the songs. All that makes this second record from Negative plane a really strong and interesting record.

lundi 16 avril 2012

The ragged jubilee-In the valley

The ragged jubilee just released their new album called In the valley (their previous one, American moan, released last year was really good, see HERE on Blasting days the review for it and read the interview I did in february 2012 with their singer Ethan Burns). In the valley is a cool collection of good songs, blending elements of classic rock, country, blues, and garage rock. Maybe the "garage" element is more present in In the valley than it was in American moan, and it gives the record a good balance between a rocking energy and simplicity and the global american folk music atmosphere of the songs. If you're into this kind of music you sure will like In the valley.

dimanche 15 avril 2012

Nadiwrath-Nihilitic stench

Nadiwrath comes from Greece and plays a kind of melodic trashy black metal mixed with d-beat punk and a rocking feeling. In that style it is really good, the opening track, darkness has lost its meaning, never fails to put a stupid smile on my face and makes me headbang (and the other songs don't disapoint either). Great beats and cool riffing, rocking metal at its coolest. The record, released in 2011 and called Nihilistic stench is a bit in a Dissection meets Impaled nazarene meets Sodom meets Carpathian forest vein.

If you like your black metal only uber serious and uber grim then Nihilistic stench is not for you (or don't take Nadiwrath as black metal). If you just like cool riffing with blast and D beats then you'll be delighted by this record!

samedi 14 avril 2012

The lords of Altamont-Midnight to 666

To introduce The lords of Altamont I'm gonna be lazy and jsut cite what is written in their blog because it sums up perfectly what the band is about : "Named
for the infamous speedway immortalized in the Rolling Stones concert
film, Gimme Shelter, The Los Angeles based Lords of Altamont evoke the
feeling of psychedelic influenced, 60’s, biker mayhem. Their collective
black hair, greasy boot-cut jeans, and custom denim jackets give them a
“we’ve come for your daughters” presence. But it’s their cool delivery
of loud, steady, garage punk, rock n roll that brings you along for the
ride. The full force of their music hits you like brass knuckles on
bone." in that style they are maybe the best. Really cool on record but even more exiting and wild, and well, rock'n'roll just the way it should be, when they play live. Their latest record Midnight to 666 was out a year ago, released by Fargo, in the vein of their previous records, is really cool, fulled by a feeling of wild rock'n'roll urgency, the Farfisa keybord adding just the necessary touch of psychedelic melodies and atmospheres to make it groove ans swing perfectly.

vendredi 13 avril 2012

Electric wizard-Legalize drugs & murder

A new Electric wizard 7' (vinyl only) is out on Rise above records it's called Legalize drugs & murder.

The first song is called Legalize drugs and murder is a good song in the vein of the latest EW releases. no surprise but a cool song. About this song thhe band declared : "…the
new song is a definitive statement on the Electric Wizard cult…we demand
total freedom and revolution….man, things have got bad , the world is
evil…." and concerning their sound "…it has to be primal and
violent, y'know cos we wanna get to people..and it had to be anthemic to
inspire revolutionary thoughts. We wanted to be Slade and Sabbath meets
the Baader-Meinhoff Gang…". Wow!

The other song is a really cool instrumental, sounding like the soundtrack of a horror/giallo/blaxploitation B movie, with a menacing vicious groove, psychedelia and some funky drumming parts. really cool! something different while really sticking to the Electric Wizard identity.

jeudi 12 avril 2012

Osaka monaurail

Saw this band playing the other day at the Jam in Montpellier (France) and it was really cool, so I post about them, simple as that...thanks to Cosmic groove for organising so many cool shows like this one.

Osaka monaurail are currently touring Europe for their new record State of the world released in january 2012 for Europe. They have been playing funk for now 20 years and they do it with style!

Their funk, musically and on scene, is influenced mainly by the great James Brown, with touches of jazz, rythm n' blues, etc...but they play mostly their own compositions.

But what most striking about them is the energy they display and communicate in their show, their singer Ryeko Nakata seems unstoppable, dancing, singing and playing the keys relentlessly, it's like he just can't stop moving! At the same time the band is playing very tight and funky. it's really a cool live band!

lundi 9 avril 2012

Finland is a great provider of good grindcore and Slash dementia proves it once again. This band formed in 2010 released in january 2012 a new Ep called Wheels of Babylon after an LP and another EP.

They play an efficient kind of grindpunk/poweriolence with a few melocic riffs here and there and sometimes a more slower part to add a welcome bit of diversity and more contrast. The singing is in finnish. The overall result is a really solid grind/punk record (their others recordings are good as well).

dimanche 8 avril 2012

P.O.O.R-Point of our resistance

P.O.O.R is a band from Ventura, CA, featuring members or ex-members of of
Fatalist, Dirty Dead, Decrypt, Stump, Burning at the Stake. They released in march 2012 a good record called Point of our resistance. The music they play is death/grind (somewhere between Napalm death and Exhumed), it is really well executed and the songwriting is really good, the songs having a lot of dynamic and groove, making it a really enjoyable record to listen to.

vendredi 6 avril 2012

Ayahuasca dark trip

The Ayahuasca is an herb from south america with hallucinogenic virtues and is used for rituals. So as you can guess the music of Ayahuasca dark trip is dark and trippy psychedelic rock with some ambient and ritualistic elements. They released two albums, Mind journey in 2010 and The unknown trip at the top of the mountain in 2011, the second pushing even further the dark ambient and weird ritualistic side of their music. Both records are good and recommended if you're ready for a dark trip!

and to learn more about the band you can read this short interview with Brayan from Ayahuasca dark trip :

-I'm curious to learn how the band formed, I read that Ayauasca is
composed of musician coming from Peru, Netherland, Brazil and Greece,
how did you get to form a band together?

I met buddy like 2 years ago, and he suggested me the idea of made a
band , and i accepted, since we had a very similar vision of music. He
knew Floris and Robin from his previous band, called ''Cosmic Nod'', so
he invite them to be part of the band. Also i asked to Pedro
(Necronomicon) and Indy (Queen Elephantine) to be part of the band. We
all have a similar vision of music, and we all share common interests in
subjects as Mysticism, Religion, Ancient Cultures, Rituals, Occultism,
etc; so making music is very interesting for us 6

-do you play live
or plan to do so?

We haven’t played live yet, but we’re waiting for the right moment to do it.

-I read that you
plan to release a record in 2012, can you tell us more about it? Mind journey
and The unknown trip are quite different, what is the next step of your musical
evolution?

The next album
will be a kind of mix between both albums. It will be more oriented to
Stoner/Doom/Drone, but also there will be Ritual Music, inspired by the Tibetan
Buddhist rituals and the Ayahuasca Rituals

-Ayahuasca dark
trip seems like a concept about the creation a kind of experience not
only musical but also spiritual and sensual in a way, do you agree? Can you
tell us more about that?

Yes, you’re right. The word Ayahuasca refers to the sacred
plant, but also to the ritual. We try to capture the concept of the sacred
experiences in general, and apply them to the music. That’s why our sound it’s pretty close to a ritual, adding elements from Rock
music.

-does
improvisation plays a part in the process of composition of the songs?

Yes. We usually
work with bases for all the songs, and then we leave some parts free to add
some improvisation.

-do you feel like
being part of a scene with other psychedelic oriented bands? Which kind of
music do you listen to, and which band would you recommend?

jeudi 5 avril 2012

Touche Amore-Parting the sea between brightness and me

since the begining of "Parting the sea between brightness and me", Touche amore grabs you and don't let you go until the record ends. For this record released in 2011 on Deathwish, the formula is simple, great screamo singing (impressively good singing really), energic and melodic guitars, an efficient rythmic section. All that in short, fast and good hardcore/punk songs. A record you can listen to over and over.

mardi 3 avril 2012

Demonic Death Judge-The Descent

Demonic death judge is a finnish stoner/sludge band. They released last october 2011 their third and really good record called The descent. I said it's a stoner/sludge band but their music is more than that. It's a great mix of heaviness and melodies, aggression and psychedelia, all that in well crafted epic songs. But judge it by yourself by listening it it on their BC page.

dimanche 1 avril 2012

Bellflower

Bellflower, by Evan Glodell is a movie about love and friendship, loyalty and treason, and about flamethrower, muscle cars, the apocalypse, freedom, drinking a lot and doing silly things, Mad Max, fucking up your life or starting a new one.

And it is fucking intense and beautifull!

released this year, it is directed by Evan Glodell, who also produced it (with a budget of 17 000 dollars only!), and also played (quite well!) the main character. He also made the video camera (to have a special kind of image)! yes really DIY! it's his first movie, he's been thinking about it for eight years and finally made it with some friends, and it's brilliant!